We Are So Proud To Be AMERICANS!

Dear Friends and Family....
We are so proud to be a part of our absolutely unique and awesome country! We are amazed daily at the wonderful sights and sounds of nature and people.....
We woke up on the 4th in Mount Vernon, Ohio at an absolutely adorable campground nestled in the rolling hills of Ohio. It was incredible that we even found it as it was off a main road about 3 miles back. As we rolled over hill after hill through a narrow farm country road I wondered if we were on the right road...and I thought if we were not, I didn't know how we were going to turn around to go back!! Finally we saw a sign (they are rare in this state) that said Rustic Knolls Campground. It was a farm at one time and where a pasture used to be are present day campsites. There was a fishing pond, and a swimming hole and a playground...and campers were sporting their American flags...what a sight.
The plan for the Fourth of July was to ride the Kokosing Trail, another of Ohio's beautiful trails.
And everyone was out...every age group was walking, jogging, cycling, roller blading and truly enjoying themselves....the most people I have ever seen on a trail. And the weather cooperated too until about 2 p.m. when it began to rain.
We are blessed to live in the greatest nation in the world! Hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July. Love, Helen and Stan

The Simon Kenton Trail of Urbana, Ohio is Unbelievable!

Monday will go down in our lives as a very special day! We were truly treated royally by the town of Urbana and the Simon Kenton Pathfinders. Stan and Roy rode 50+ miles from Waynesville to Springfield and on up to Urbana on bikes trails (the best being Simon Kenton).
Upon arriving we were given a lovely welcoming letter from the Mayor and City of Urbana by Bruce Evilsizor, the city of Urbana's Director of Administration. We were also given a bag of treats.... maps, calendar, pens, an Ubana city pin by Larry Lokai, city councilman. A reporter from the Urbana Daily Citizen was there to interview us. Wow, did we feel like celebrities or what?! Nancy Lokai Baldwin, president of the Simon Kenton Pathfinders and her husband Frank hosted us in their home Monday night. Frank barbequed and Nancy cooked up some of her delicious home canned veggies and a special potato casserole that I must get the recipe for. We woke early Tuesday morning to Larry Lokai's voice shouting, "We have bad news and good news.........Stan didn't make the front page of the newspaper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..................................................Helen did!" Stan's comment, "I ride 2,500 miles and I get the back page! Helen rides 200 miles and gets the front page! What's up with that?!!! All joking aside, it was a beautiful article, and we are very grateful to all who made us feel so very special.....what a wonderful group of people!